29
ARTHUR FOGEL, 64
Chairman of global music/president of global touring, Live Nation Entertainment
DENIS DESMOND, 63
Chairman, United Kingdom and Ireland, Live Nation
BRIAN O’CONNELL, 52
President of country music touring, Live Nation?
BOB ROUX, 60
President of U.S. concerts, Live Nation
RUSSELL WALLACH, 52
Global president of media and sponsorship, Live Nation Entertainment
Last Year’s Rank: 24
BIG GROWTH: Over 80 million event tickets were sold in 2017, according to the company, up 20 percent year to year. U2’s Joshua Tree jaunt — Billboard‘s top tour of last year — grossed $317 million from 50 shows, and tours by Guns N’ Roses, Lady Gaga, Luke Bryan and Miranda Lambert added to the bottom line. With over 28,000 live events produced for 85 million fans (up from 26,000 shows and 71 million fans in 2016), Live Nation is on pace to pay artists a record $5 billion in 2017, making it the “largest financial partner to musicians” in the world.
THERE’S MORE: The Wallach-led media and sponsorship division is Live Nation’s highest-margin business, with six years of consecutive growth, marked in October 2017 by the opening of a new office in New York’s Meatpacking District, replete with an indoor basketball court. And thanks in part to an almost 20 percent increase in revenue — to $346 million through the first three quarters of 2017 — Wallach’s division was given its own COO, Chris Loll, formerly COO of IPG Mediabrands, in September.
CAREER HIGHLIGHT: (Fogel) “Being David Bowie’s promoter for 20-plus years. He was the ultimate rock god.”
